Domestic violence added four victims to Peoria's 19 homicides in 2013

Saturday

Jan 4, 2014 at 1:00 PM

PEORIA — A year that saw 19 homicides recorded in the River City included four deaths related to domestic situations, highlighting what one group that works with domestic violence victims calls an ongoing problem in Peoria.

Matt Buedel Journal Star Caterpillar/industry reporter @journobuedel

PEORIA — A year that saw 19 homicides recorded in the River City included four deaths related to domestic situations, highlighting what one group that works with domestic violence victims calls an ongoing problem in Peoria.

Violent incidents between domestic partners historically take a fatal turn a few times every year in the area, according to Corie Sego, director of the Peoria County Family Justice Center.

While some couples have a history of seeking orders of protection against each other — as was the case in at least one of the Peoria deaths in 2013 — almost none has sought follow-up services offered by groups like the Family Justice Center before the lethal resolution.

"Every domestic homicide that we've had — with the exception of one — they've been off the radar," Sego said.

That means the victims who needed help the most didn't get to it, she added.

"The victims who are truly, truly in dire straits and are the ones who need the help aren't reaching out," Sego said.

Two of the most high-profile homicides in Peoria in 2013 stemmed from domestic situations: the slaying of 39-year-old Denise Leuthold in her family's home on Mossville Road in February and the kidnapping and standoff surrounding the death of 28-year-old Laongdao Phangthong in November.

Leuthold and her husband, Nathan, were Christian missionaries who traveled frequently to Lithuania, but were staying with her family during a return stay in the United States, when she was shot and killed on Feb. 14.

There were signs of a break-in at the home, but authorities have said the burglary was staged. Nathan Leuthold was arrested and charged with first-degree murder three weeks after the death. His case is pending.

Phangthong allegedly was kidnapped by her estranged husband Phouvone Sophanavong the morning of Nov. 4 outside her place of employment in Pekin. Her body was found the next day in an OSF Saint Francis Medical Center parking deck.

Sophanavong was found in his home in the 700 block of Northeast Monroe Street and became involved with a nine-hour standoff with police that ended when he shot himself in the chest. He survived and has been charged in Tazewell County with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping. He remains in jail awaiting trial.

Phangthong had sought an order of protection against her husband because he threatened to kill her and himself if she left him. Peoria County State's Attorney Jerry Brady cautioned against dismissing the importance of an order if violence occurs because of its limitations.

"The comment always made is: 'It's just a piece of paper,' " Brady said. "But not getting one means nothing is going to happen."

While those cases generated headlines for days, the first homicide of 2013, just a few days before the Leuthold case, also involved a domestic situation. Heather Malcolm, 31, was found shot to death Feb. 10 in her home in the 700 block of East Nebraska Avenue. Her husband, Matthew Malcolm, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He is still awaiting trial.

And on May 15, DeAndre Foote, 30, was found stabbed to death in front of his girlfriend's home in the 5400 block of North Renwood Avenue. Authorities later said the woman, Dyneasha Reed, was defending herself when she stabbed him. She was not arrested.

Those deaths, though tragic, don't necessarily reflect the magnitude of domestic violence in Peoria, Sego said. The Family Justice Center, which reviews documented incidents for further follow-up in the form of orders of protection, criminal charges or other services, made contact with 1,567 victims in 2013 through Dec. 27. Less than one-third seek follow-up services.

From Jan. 1 through Aug. 31, 2013, the center assisted prosecutors in filing charges in 295 cases, and there were 230 convictions over the same time period, though some of those cases had been previously initiated. In 2012, there were 1,616 emergency orders of protection filed, an all-time high.

"It's a real problem in Peoria County," Sego said. "The big picture is people living with it — not necessarily those who have died from it."

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Feb. 11: Heather Malcolm, 31, died from a shotgun blast to the head while seated on a couch in her home at 707 E. Nebraska Ave. Her husband, Matthew A. Malcolm, was arrested the same day on first-degree murder. His case is pending.

Feb. 14: Denise Leuthold, 39, died from a single gunshot wound to the head just inside the front door of her home at 700 W. Mossville Road. Her husband, Nathan Leuthold, initially reported a burglary at the home, and police found her body. He was arrested March 6 for first-degree murder and remains in custody awaiting resolution of the case.

April 5: Kelsey Coleman, 32, died after being shot in the back during a home invasion at 1612 S. Arago St. Dieuseul M. Brown, 25, was arrested April 6 on first-degree murder. His case is pending.

April 7: TreyShawn Blakely, 17, died after he was shot once in the head at the intersection of Butler and Warren streets, where a gang-related fight had broken out in the street. Marquis D. Costic, 22, was arrested on murder April 9. Costic's brother, Michael Costic, was arrested Oct. 22 and charged with murder.

April 9: Brandon L. Thomas, 25, died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head behind 1501 W. Howett St. The death is being investigated as connected to the shooting that left TreyShawn Blakely dead. No arrests have been made.

May 15: DeAndre Foote, 30, died from stab wounds in front of 5419 N. Renwood Ave. Authorities determined his girlfriend, Dyneasha Reed, had stabbed him in self defense. She was not arrested.

June 24: Eric D. Brown Jr., 21, died after he was shot outside 1830 W. Kettelle St. Eugene Haywood was arrested on first-degree murder Oct. 30. His case is pending.

July 11: John Dunigan, 24, was beaten in the head with a board while he tried to break up a fight involving a friend. He died Sept. 19. Arrested in connection with the death were Carder Forrester, Ciaundi Montford and Darcy Morris. Montford and Forrester pleaded guilty to mob action and were sentenced to 180 days jail and 30 months probation. Morris was charged with murder, and his case is pending.

July 14: Tyran M. Chester, 24, died of gunshot wounds in the back seat of an abandoned rental vehicle in the odd-side alley of the 3000 block of West Seibold Street. Mytrez Flora, 19, Lloyd Dotson, 22, and Eugene Haywood, 19, were arrested about the same time Chester's body was discovered. Flora and Dotson were charged with murder, while Haywood was charged with obstructing justice. The grand jury refused to indict Flora or Dotson, and both eventually pleaded guilty to weapons charges, receiving sentences of 5 1/2 years and two years, respectively.

Aug. 16: Marquail Johnson, an 8-year-old autistic boy, was found dead in an older model refrigerator that latches closed from the outside behind 740 S. Western Ave., the home of a relative a few doors down from his own home. A coroner's jury ruled the death a homicide in November. No arrests have been made.

Aug. 31: Daledrek Carpenter, 22, died from gunshot wounds in an alley in the 1100 block of West Lincoln Avenue. No arrests have been made.

Sept. 19: KeiAmber Beard, 24, and her boyfriend, James Anthony Irby Jr., 29, died from gunshot wounds in their home at 1204 W. Margaret Ave. after a home invasion. No arrests have been made, and police have only said that one of the victims communicated the name "Mike" before dying, possibly naming a suspect.

Sept. 21: Melvin Sanders, Jr., 25, died from gunshot wounds outside 1618 S. Stanley St., where relatives had gathered to mourn the deaths of KeiAmber Beard and James Irby. A second man was shot alongside Sanders but survived. Cortez D. Williams was run down by a car at the scene as he tried to flee. He was hospitalized for several days, then arrested and charged with first-degree murder. His case is pending.

Oct. 3: The charred body of Todd Scholl, 47, owner of Downtown nightclubs Berlin and Diesel, was found after a suspicious fire was extinguished in a storage space at 105 SW Perry Ave. He died from multiple stab wounds to the chest and back. Arrested a week later was Bryan J. Stewart, who claimed he stabbed Scholl in self defense. Stewart was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated arson, and his case is pending.

Oct. 11: The body of Carnell Ashford, 31, was found in the backyard of 1404 NE Perry Ave. several hours after he was shot nearby. Two other men also were injured in the incident. Charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death are Kent Irby, Jr., and Cartez E. Williams.

Nov. 5: The body of Laongdao Phangthong, 28, was found in the north parking deck at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center with two close-range gunshot wounds to her chest after she had been kidnapped from her job in Pekin one day earlier. Her estranged husband, Phouvone Sophanavong, held police at bay during a standoff at 703 NE Monroe St. that lasted nine hours before he shot himself in the chest. He survived and has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in Tazewell County.

Dec. 11: The body of Dylan Propst, 22, was discovered in a crawl space in a vacant East Bluff home at 2127 N. Prospect Road. He had been stabbed to death. Arrested for murder within hours of the body being recovered were Adam C.B. Windle and Jay R. Conway. Their cases are pending.

Dec. 24: Sonny T. Ford, 29, died from gunshot wounds after a home invasion at an apartment at 805 W. Pine Hill Lane. No arrests have been made.

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Matt Buedel can be reached at 686-3154 or mbuedel@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @JournoBuedel.

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